Objective and subjective factors, their development and synergy determine the course of social change. Whatever be the depth of the sincerity of those hopes, it alone will not be sufficient to translate those desires into reality. It warrants much more serious introspection and rectification from the socialist forces. At the moment it is not at all equipped to provide answers to the new challenges posed by the post COVID -19 world.

The prospects of socialism and coming back depends mainly on their preparedness and ability to find out new answers to the new questions. Socialist forces have spared much of their time to discuss comparatively less important matters mainly their internal differences which have further led them to marginalization in many countries. They have to come out from this self-destructive framework and learn to apply their ideology and politics to cope up with the new situation. That is the scientific method to become more relevant to the people and their times. The strive for unity, that would give new impetus to the process, is an important factor in this regard.

The unquestionable supremacy of capitalism over the world scenario has suffered a severe blow. All the celebrated drivers of their mode of development has become incapacitated. The myth of the market as the ultimate source of human development has been shattered into pieces. All the promises of globalization were soap bubbles. The trickledown theory, they propagated has been proven hollow as Pope Francis stated sometime back. The moment they stood face to face with the unprecedented human distress thrown out by COVID19 those bubbles of promises have ruptured.

The United States was the self-proclaimed exponent and protector of the market philosophy and its neoliberal world order. Now the US can be treated as the typical specimen for a case study on crisis of global capitalism. In 1998 when George Soros published his book the crisis of global capitalism there were not many takers for it. Soros himself being a billionaire was approaching the issue from the viewpoint of a free market advocate. His anguish was that global capitalism was moving to market fundamentalism even disturbing the foundations of capitalism itself. But for laissez- faire, the free market system that urge is instinctive, hence unavoidable.

Now that unbridled greed of capital for super profits of the super-rich has caused the biggest ever crisis in the 'era of globalization'. It was about this greed that Marx observed saying that the increase in the level of profit will make capital to do anything, to the extent that finally even if it kills its owner himself. This observation happened not because of Marx being a prophet. It is the strength of scientific study and analysis of the basic nature of capitalism that helped the founders of scientific socialism to make such conclusions. It threw light on the basic character of capitalist mode of production where the output of social labour was appropriated by private profit motive.

This intrinsic nature of capital would lead to inevitable contradiction within society. The more capitalism grows the more this contradiction too. Its manifestation and features may change but the basic character will not change. In times of LPG (Liberalization, Privatization, Globalization) after the decline of global socialism, capitalism became more aggressive and unquestionable where maximum profit became the only concern. It paved the path for ruthless exploitation of human and nature. That strength of the socialist ideology has the potential not only to analyse the capitalist contradiction. If properly developed and applied, it has the capability to understand causes for the fall of erstwhile model of socialism. But that alone will not solve the problems as Marx stated, interpretation alone will not be sufficient. " Question however is how to change it".

In the given situation of 21st century the theory and practice of global capitalism and its principles of market fundamentalism has failed miserably. The outbreak of the pandemic COVID19 and the severe blow it caused on the global economy reveals the inevitable contradictions existed in the system. Interconnections between globalization, global warming, spread of pandemic and its economic fallouts are now more and more visible. Stormtroopers of global capital can no more hide it. In its citadel, the United States of America, New York itself corona related death rates are ever on the increase. On 15th April, 26,064 people died, and 6,14 246 people are reported to be infected.

In the most advanced capitalist nation people face acute shortage of mask and sanitizers and other essential equipment. Essential drugs and equipment like PPE are beyond the reach. In the frenzy of privatization public health system has wound up years back. Health insurance was also curtailed. 3 crores of Americans have no health coverage at all. Thirty-three percentage of people are unwilling to go for treatment as the expenses estimated is between 30-50lakh Rupees which is unbearable for them. Even in Corona days 120 village hospitals are abandoned. Doctor - patient ratio in America is lesser than many poor countries of Africa. Massive growth of unemployment and its social impact haunt the United States. Same is the plight in many of the European countries.

History stands at a crossroad today. It's divided as 'before and after Corona'. Nothing in the world will be the same as before corona. Everything related to human life will be different in the post corona days to come. Not only health care but economics, politics, sociology - all will undergo changes. All forms of private ownership in all sectors will have to depend upon public sector and government funds even for its very survival. It has happened more than once in the past that capitalist crisis was resolved by utilizing people's money and government funds. Even though the crisis was the creation of private capital, its solution was possible only through pumping in public funds. Market which used to be the driving spirit behind globalization was nurturing fierce income divide even before pre corona days. As a result, the richest 1% in the world have more than double the wealth of 6.9 billion people.

The combined wealth of world’s richest 22 men is more than the wealth of all women in Africa (Time to Care Report, Oxfam,2020). World Bank estimates that almost half of the world’s population lives on less that 5.50 $ per day. Now during corona days all the mechanisms built-up by market stand exposed. They were helpless in providing solutions for people's distress. The TINA (There is no alternative) theory has been punctured. People naturally will search for alternatives. Socialist forces have to rise to the new challenges. The basic philosophical traits of socialism emerge as the source of new answers. It depends upon those forces who subscribe to socialism on how they are going to address this most vital issue of 21st century. Its ideological, political and organizational preparedness is at test. Various aspects such as environment, social and gender justice cannot be secondary anymore. Commitment to democracy should be at the heart of the quest for the new path. The time has come for the various streams of social change to put their heads together and shape a new world of hope. History will wait for none. (IPA Service)